Lighthouses of South Korea: Ulleungdo and Dokdo

For most of its history Korea was an independent kingdom or at least an autonomous kingdom under Chinese influence. This came to an end in 1910 when Japan annexed all of Korea. At the end of World War II in 1945 the 38° parallel was established as the dividing line between U.S. and Soviet zones of occupation, and in 1948 separate civil administrations were established in the two halves of the country. The Korean War (1950-53) ended in a draw with the armistice line falling close to the prewar 38° line. The Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly called South Korea, occupies the Korean peninsula south of the armistice line.

This page covers lighthouses of Ulleungdo and Dokdo, volcanic islands located in the East Sea (as it is called in Korea) or the Sea of Japan (its traditional name in the West). Ulleungdo is a well-populated island that has been part of Korea since the tenth century, while Dokdo is a formerly uninhabited island that is administered by Korea but also claimed by Japan. The islands are administered as Ulleung County within the South Korean province of Gyeongsangbuk (North Gyeongsang).

Navigational aids in the ROK are regulated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). Management of lighthouses in North Gyeongsang is the responsibility of the Pohang Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries. The Korean Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration (KHOA) publishes notices to mariners.

In 2000 South Korea adopted a Revised Romanization System to replace systems formerly used in the West. In the Revised System, the word for a lighthouse is deungdae (등대); dan (formerly tan) is a cape, seom (som) or do (to) is an island, am or amseog is a rock, man is a bay, and hang is a harbor. Some place names may be more familiar to Westerners in the spellings of older systems.

The name Korea, used internationally, is a Western version of Goryeo or Koryŏ (고려), the name of a kingdom that unified the country in the tenth century. From 1392 to 1897 the kingdom was known instead as Joseon or Chosŏn (조선). Today South Koreans usually call their country Hanguk (한국, literally "one country") and the official name of the Republic of Korea is Daehan Minguk (대한민국).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. KR numbers, where available, are from the Korean light list. Admiralty numbers are from volume M of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Pohang Region Lighthouses
Information on the major lighthouses posted by the Pohang MOF office. Text in Korean.
Category: Liancourt Rocks
Photos of Dokdo available from Wikimedia.
Online List of Lights - Korea
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Ulleungdo.


Dokdo Light, May 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Ulleungdont

Ulleungdo Lighthouses

Ulleungdo (Ullung Do) is a volcanic island about 120 km (75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula. The rugged, roughly circular island is about 10 km (6 mi) in diameter and has a population of about 10,000. Dodong (or Jeodong), on the east coast of the island, is the principal port. There is no airport but the island is accessible by ferry from Gangneung, Mukho, and Pohang. Remote but very scenic, it is a popular destination for tourists.

Ulleung Town (East Coast) Lighthouses

Cheongdo
2009. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) round tower painted black with a red horizontal band. Yonghyun Bae has a drone view, Romain Chassagne's evening photo shows this light in the distance, and Kim HeungKyu has a street view from the shore but the light is not seen clearly in Google's indistinct satellite view. Formerly painted black over yellow as a "north cardinal" light, the lighthouse was repainted black and red as an isolated obstruction light in 2019. Located on a reef about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) northeast of the entrance to Jeodong harbor. Site status unknown. KR-1274.1; Admiralty M4445.6.
Jeodong North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted red. Romain Chassagne has a photo of the light in action, there's a view of both breakwater lights from the waterfront, Jeasung Park has a closeup street view and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north breakwater of Jeodong. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. KR-1273; Admiralty M4445.7; NGA 16524.
* Jeodong South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. A closeup photo is available, there's a view of both breakwater lights from the waterfront, Jeasung Park has a street view from the north breakwater, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater of Jeodong. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. KR-1274; Admiralty M4445.8; NGA 16528.
* Haengnammal (Dodong, Hyongnangap) (3)
2006 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); white flash every 14 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round white concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a modern station building. Fog horn (blast every 60 s). Michael Mellinger's photo is at right, Man Ou Jung has a similar photo taken in 2016, a closeup is available, Minsoo Oh has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is accessible by a picturesque walkway cut into the rocky cliffs from Jeodong to the village of Haengnam. Located on a sharp promontory about 2 km (1.25 mi) south of Jeodong. Site open, tower status unknown. . Admiralty M4446.2; NGA 16520.
Sadong Hang South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) round white concrete tower with a "hoop skirt" base, lantern, and gallery. A view from the sea and a view from the mountainside above the harbor are available, Kiljae Lee has an aerial view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Sadong, a small port on the east side of the southern tip of the island. Site status unknown. KR-1276.8; Admiralty M4445.3.
* Ganryeong Mal (Kanryong Mal, Kanyong Mal, Gadubong) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lee Tae-yoon has a photo, Kwangrok Park has a closeup photo, Derek Percival has a scenic view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. The original light here was a 5 m (17 ft) round tower. Located on the southern tip of Ulleongdo. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. . KR-1277; Admiralty M4445; NGA 16544.

Haengnam Light, Ulleung, October 2012
Flickr photo copyright Michael Mellinger; permisson requested

Seo (South) Township Lighthouses
Namyang Hang
2013. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); green flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower. Cho Ky Ong has a photo, Franz Nigas has an evening photo of the light in action, Bae Yong-hyun has a drone view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at Namyang, a small fishing village on the south coast of Ulleungdo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4444.5.
Malpbawi
2020. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); nine quick white flashes every 12 s. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted black and lower half yellow. The light is seen at the 0:10 mark in a video but it is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located just off a spectacular headland at the southwestern corner of the island. Accessible only by boat but visible from shore at the Sucheung-gyo bridge. Site open, tower closed. KR-1269.3; Admiralty M4444.3.
* Daepunggam (Ulleongdo, Taeha, Taepung Ga) (2)
2011 (station established 1958). Active; focal plane 182 m (597 ft); white flash every 25 s. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Noh Yong-seon has the street view seen at right, Seong Soo Chang has a closeup photo, a 2023 photo is available, Y.E. Song has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. It's unknown why this major light was dropped from the NGA list. Located on a promontory at the northwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. . KR-1269; Admiralty M4444; ex-NGA 16540.

Buk (North) Township Lighthouses
Hyeonpo North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); red flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted red. Nara Jeong has a photo, a distant view of the two breakwater lights is available, Bae Yong-hyun has a drone view, and Google has a satellite view. The drone view also shows a red beacon on a spur of the breakwater; the Admiralty does not list a light there. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Hyeonpo. Site status unknown. KR-1272; Admiralty M4443.5; NGA 16542.
* Hyeonpo East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 5 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with a mushroom-shaped top. A closeup photo, a distant view of the two breakwater lights and a view of both from the harbor are available, Bae Yong-hyun has a drone view, and Google has a satellite view of the harbor. Located at the end of the east breakwater at Hyeonpo, on the northwestern coast of Ulleungdo. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. KR-1271.5; Admiralty M4443.8.
* [Cheonbu (Chonbu) Hang]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) round post rising from a small equipment cabinet. Entire lighthouse is white. Bok-soo Kim has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at Cheonbu, a fishing port on the northwest coast of the island. Site status unknown;, but the breakwater may be walkable. KR-1270; Admiralty M4443; NGA 16536.
Ssangjeongcho (Ssangjongcho)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted black with a red horizontal band. A 2020 closeup photo is available but the lighthouses is not shown in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the northeastern tip of Ulleungdo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. KR-1270.5; Admiralty M4446.4; NGA 16541.

Daepunggam (Taeha) Light, Ulleungdo, July 2019
Google Maps street view by Noh Yong-seon

Dokdo Lighthouse

Dokdo is a territory consisting of two small volcanic islands and dozens of islets and rocks in the middle of the East Sea (or Sea of Japan), 87 km (54 mi) east southeast of Ulleungdo. A nice aerial view is available. The islands are called Takeshima in Japan and Western navigators charted them as the Liancourt Rocks. Sovereignty over the islands is the subject of an acrimonious dispute between Korea and Japan (and on this issue North and South Korea are in complete agreement). South Korean forces occupied the islands in 1953 and have held them ever since despite sharp Japanese protests. According to Wikipedia, "As of February 2017, there are two civilian residents, two government officials, six lighthouse managers, and 40 members of the coast guard living on the islets." (To create a "permanent population," South Korea settled an octopus fisherman and his wife on Dokdo.) Landing on the islands is limited to guided tours; there are also boat tours from Ulleungdo in which the cruise ships circle as close to the islands as possible.

Dokdo (Tok To) (2)
1998 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 104 m (341 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one end of a 2-story concrete keeper's house. Entire structure painted white. A photo is at the top of this page, a good view of the lighthouse crowning the island is available, the lighthouse was featured on a North Korean postage stamp, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop Dongdo, the eastern of the two major islands of the Dokdo group. Site and tower closed. ARLHS SKR-040; Admiralty M4440; NGA 16548.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: West: Uljin Area

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Posted October 29, 2007. Checked and revised October 21, 2023. Lighthouses: 14. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.